Rescue for a Tortured Soul
by MystifyingButterfly
Summary: They came to rescue a tortured soul from the clutches of suffering and damnation. What they didn't expect was for it, in turn, to capture them into a much stronger, much more wondrous grip.    /Threesome, ZhaoYun-MaChao-JiangWei/
1. Prologue

Alright, folks~! Four years later, and I'm still in love with DW. However, thanks to all the practice on LJ, I am a much better writer now *laughs*

Those of you who had somehow by some means kept a piece of this fic in memory, this is "Rescue for a tortured soul" reloaded. Means you take out all those horrible grammar and spelling mistakes, the rather frequent illogic of characters' words and actions then and there, cut the sappiness and fangirly wording in half, and replace it with a good portion of seriousness, more proper wording, phrasing, syntax, more IC and more reality-closeness. It's of course still far from perfect, but I'm trying my very best.

Honestly, I've been embarrassed to death reading some of the older version's passages *face-palms* But! Practice makes the master, right, and I had a lot of it in the past few years. Thus I'm fairly positive that this time around, I can guarantee you a much more sensible and pleasurable read! =3

I always loved the idea I had for this fic, but I admit four years ago, I lacked some serious skill to develop it properly. So now, having strayed through the dusty DW fanfiction files on my computer, I stumbled upon it again and yeah. Reactivated my fanfictiondotnet account again because my muses had stirred and wanted to proceed. Reading through the whole piece however, I realized it DEFINITELY needed a complete overhaul if I really wanted to continue it. So. Here it is.

Rewritten to the greatest extent, and stuffed with everything it lacked to make it a lot nicer and smoother (hopefully). I now present it to you and will be anxiously awaiting your opinions on it :o

BEFORE YOU PROCEED!

A few things you should be aware of:

First, this is a Yaoi Fanfiction. I'm very sure you know what it means since you have clicked on it after reading the brief summary. As stated, this is not the typical Yaoi either, but an actual threesome where my muses and I will try with all our might to bring together three of the hottest Shu Generals – Zhao Yun/Ma Chao/Jiang Wei (- this order does not reflect any top-bottom-middle hints, by the way XD)

Second. This story is not very Wei-friendly (but I plan to remedy that later on, should it be possible). I don't even know why, because it's actually my favourite Kingdom and Xiahou Dun is my favourite character... Maybe my muses are simply very sadistic.

Third. It's M-Rated for a big, fat reason. A lot of violence, abuse and nasty-angsty evil things in here, people. Nothing for faint hearts. For that, I reimburse you with occasional fluffiness, romance and later on, of course, lime/lemon (- which also adds reason to the rating, btw.) I've never really written a threesome before, I bet it will be interesting.

Okay, enough with the blahblah, on with the story! Off it goes!

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Two stately, mounted men brought their horses to halt as they saw a lonely figure on the empty marketplace of the huge town of Xu Chang. That was the young boy they were looking for and also the reason for the whole present campaign against Wei.

While dismounting, they kept an alert eye on mentioned boy standing with his back towards them. They knew he was good with that spear which he held in plain sight, the hilt stemmed into the ground and its sharp tip pointing straight up to the skies. Although he was outnumbered, he was not less of a danger as he would be face to face with only one of them.

"So they did leave you as their rear guard, didn't they?" The older one of the two horsemen asked, his smooth voice calm. So far, things were going exactly as they'd been planned by Zhuge Liang.

"And who wants to know this?" The youth turned around and looked them over with drooped, tired eyes. There was no surprise in them as he saw two Tiger Generals of Shu in front of him, Zhao Yun and Ma Chao. He looked shattered and seemed not to care much about the own plight.

"Hm, I thought as a to-be-strategist, you should be able to answer that yourself." Zhao Yun's placid response broke the momentary silence that had been left by the boy's question.

"Shut up. I had never wanted to be given that title." The boy retorted, the contempt both emphasized and contradicted by the sad smile that curled his lips.

"That's why we're here. Jiang Wei, don't you want to join us? You deserve something better than this." Zhao Yun continued with meek persuasion, his eyes never leaving that slender figure. He knew Ma Chao watched the boy as carefully as he did; they both were prepared for him to strike.

Jiang Wei's face twitch at the other's last statement. "What do you know? There's nothing I deserve. Now get lost." The sentences coming out of his mouth were quiet and sharp, yet his inflexion was weary and lost. His grip on his spear however, tightened as Zhao Yun moved closer a step.

"We don't want to fight you." Ma Chao stated, also taking a step forward and lowering his own weapon in supplementation of his words. He really didn't want to hurt the boy more than he likely already was, but he would have to if the other wouldn't join them on his own. He remembered what Zhuge Liang had said to them before the battle, and anger passed his face in a dark shadow. They had to bring the young warrior to safety; there was no way they would let him return to Wei.

"That's your problem." Jiang Wei answered, remaining on alert. The anger in the Tiger General's eyes frightened him a bit; he had heard plenty of rumours about Ma Chao's ferocity. He was in pain, and he acknowledged the bad situation he was in clearly. Two against one, and he might have tried to give them a hard time if he hadn't been through one himself not that long ago. He hadn't yet recovered properly, he didn't know if he ever would. After swallowing hard he tried to keep both men in vision and his muscles tensed, preparing his body to intercept the strike that was surely to come.

Zhao Yun sighed visibly, and ultimately lunged forward, aiming to knock the boy off his feet using the dull end of his weapon. Jiang Wei jumped up and rotated his spear in front of himself to let it clash with Ma Chao's, the collision pushing them away from each other.

"You're good." The horseman fleetingly commented on the agility and swift reaction, launching forward once more.

"Save your compliments." Jiang Wei spat back, perfectly aware of Zhao Yun's spear coming from the side at a deadly speed but there was nothing he could do to block both moves at once.

The sudden pain in his right shoulder made his body flinch and he jumped back, panting softly. Jiang Wei's right arm refused to hold his weapon up any longer, so he had to switch and take it into his left hand in order not to drop it altogether. His shoulder ached in a throbbing twinge yet he felt no wetness of blood. His opponent had aimed aptly - having used the flat side of the spear's head Zhao Yun hadn't cut him but the blow had been more than strong enough to deny him his right arm's service for a small but perfectly sufficient amount of time. That meant Jiang Wei would lose this fight without a possibility to defend himself and thus without the possibility of getting injured any further.

A twinkle of hope kindled somewhere in his heart, quickly smothered by the pain dominating the entire space there. Not the pain in the shoulder but a stronger pain deep inside, built up by years of torture and humiliation. No, he was not in the position to hope. He had forsaken hope long, long ago. And still...

"Give up the resistance. Whom are you trying to fool? Jiang Wei, we only want to help." Zhao Yun noticed that inner struggle well, those refined features had trouble hiding it. He saw anguish flashing across them, and he saw the hopelessness in the sad brown eyes. His heart hitched painfully at the sight, in all worry, sympathy and compassion. They had to get the young one out of there. They had to.

"Just, shut up!" The yet-Wei general gritted out aggressively and desperately alike, raising his spear in defence at the next strike from Ma Chao. His left arm strained with the effort to hold the weapon properly, trembling and bending in the elbow, though he understood perfectly that the Tiger General used not even half of his strength to push.

The desolation seized him in a firm grip and now, he fought to keep his tears from breaking out. Why was his life like this? What was Suzaku punishing him for? From the corner of his eye he caught another figure moving, but in his current position, there was little to nothing he could do to stop that figure from doing whatever it would want to. Somewhere, he wished he would simply get finish off... Quick and painless.

Jiang Wei flinched hard as an arm curled around his torso from behind, pulling him up against a well-build, warm body. The pressure on his raised spear decreased and disappeared, the person who held him in place now charily tracing a hand up his outstretched arm, gripping his wrist and compelling the hand attached to it to lower the weapon altogether.

"If you're fighting until your very last because of your mother - let it be. She's safe now." Zhao Yun's calm voice reached his ear while his grip around the boy softened. There was no longer need to restrain him - after hearing his statement the youth seemed to have lost all his will to break away.

Jiang Wei's lithe frame stiffened, his breathing seemed to have stopped. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, not able to find his voice. His head was empty; completely at loss of coherent thoughts.

He flinched yet again at the sound of his own spear hitting the ground as he lost grip on it. He wanted to cry in this one moment of desperation, helplessness and... hope? His eyes eased open upon perceiving Ma Chao coming closer, unable to jerk his hand away when it was carefully taken. The long sleeve was pushed up slowly, and revealed a terrifying image of bruises and scars. The abrasions of ropes could be seen clearly on the pale skin, scars of cuts and marks of too strong holds - all marring the tender surface.

"So it really is true." The Tiger General murmured more to himself, and looked up into vacant brown eyes. The misery in them and the glistening to-come tears were more of an answer than he needed.

"Let me go. I won't run." The boy pleaded in a shaky voice and Zhao Yun complied, releasing the hold on the young warrior's waist.

"So you know..." Jiang Wei immediately turned around to face the Little Dragon. "All of it...?"

"Most of it, yes." Zhao Yun nodded, and despite the solemnity of the situation he directed a reassuring smile at the boy. It was okay.

"Don't be afraid. We're not going to hurt you." Ma Chao added, putting his hand onto the boy's shoulder, giving it a soft but firm squeeze.

"I..." Jiang Wei trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Were they really here to help him? But... why? The images of yesterday surfaced in his mind again, and oh, did they hurt. The past three years had been hell for him, no, it'd probably been much worse. How often he had thought about suicide he couldn't tell, they were too many to count each day. His tortured spirit and body simply couldn't trust the fact that it was actually over. Just like that... within one day. If it was true, if these two really were here to help him, to get him out of the nightmare he'd lived in the past three years, then it was more than he could ever dare to believe.

Zhao Yun was right, he stayed in Wei only because of his mother who didn't even know of the danger she was in every day. She did not know that the neighbours living next door were in fact Wei assassins; ready to execute their orders if he would make a mistake. The debt he had to his mother, the love he harboured for her, his only living family, the will to protect her - that was the only thing that had kept him from cutting open his wrists many, many times. That was the only thing that had held him back every time he walked by the palace lake tempting him to just jump in with a stone around his neck. The thoughts of her were the only thing that always carried him through nights full of crying and silent screaming. That was it...

Not seeing the grave affliction these recollections had on his emotions, Jiang Wei didn't even notice the tears that overflowed and spilled at last, starting to creep down his face in translucent rivulets. Beneath the great potential of a warrior and a tactician... Just a kid. He was just a kid, scared and distressed and alone. Broken.

"Hey. It's okay." After a brief moment of hesitation, now knowing how the boy might react, Zhao Yun reached out and gently pulled the smaller, shivering existence closer, wrapping his arms around the slender, suddenly so very breakable-seeming form. By Suzaku. Whatever madness had possessed those who had wrecked the poor creature in his hold... they would have to pay for it.

With his eyes closed, Jiang Wei only tucked his face away against the older man's chest, frightened and comforted at the same time by that consoling gesture. Solace... Comfort... He had never exactly known the meaning of these words because he never had anybody who would offer it. There had been so many of those nights he'd wished for someone to hold him when he'd crumble under the burden he was bearing. So many lonely nights spent licking the wounds and crying in solitude. Still, he never allowed himself to cry in front of other people. Afraid to be ridiculed for his tears, aware they only added up pleasure to those who were the cause of them. But now...

"It's all right." Now it was... alright. "You're safe now." Now it was... safe. "It's over." Holding the boy close non-forcedly, Zhao Yun wished he could somehow ease the pain that seemed to smother the young life that pressed up to him. He looked to Ma Chao who was staring silently at the sun sinking under the line of the horizon, colouring the skies in a variety of warm, reddish hues. No doubt that the younger Tiger General was having similar thoughts, but there was yet little they could do to help the boy out of his misery. At least, he was safe now.

Zhuge Liang had entrusted them both with this task after the scouts confirmed the reports they'd received from the villagers around Xu Chang. They were saying that the guards who spent lots of time in the village tavern often talked about a boy kept in the palace. Rumours told the youth to be very talented both in strategy and martial arts, but being ill- and mistreated by his fellow officers. The scouts had managed to catch a view of those treatment, and their reports had been horrible.

Immediately after, a small army had been raised quickly. The time was perfect because Jiang Wei had been re-stationed to an outpost on the Wei-Shu border and it was the ideal opportunity for a surprise attack. The Wei forces were indeed surprised as the Shu forces breached the gates, not at all having expected them to strike this area. Like anticipated, Jiang Wei was left as a rear-guard to give Cao Hong and Cao Ren time to withdraw. Zhuge Liang's plan was a success thus far. The most difficult part of that plan was still ahead of them - restoring Jiang Wei's life back to normal. To heal his shattered soul and body.

"I'm sorry. I..."

Zhao Yun's thoughts snapped back to reality as a shaky, jagged whisper caught his and Ma Chao's attention. Jiang Wei had eventually calmed down and finally found his vocal cords able to produce sounds again. He didn't really know what to say about his sudden tearful outburst or how to explain it to the two Tiger Generals. He just hoped they could understand... since they knew...

"You have nothing to apologize for. We should be the one to apologize, for not arriving to your aid much sooner." The older Shu general spoke softly, slightly rubbing the boy's back.

"It's... I... You couldn't know... Nobody did." The boy stepped back, freeing himself out of Zhao Yun's embrace. His head hung low as if in shame that his secret was not much of a secret any longer.

It was strange that someone knew and was not trying to use him further but to help him. It was strange that someone knew and was not trying to deliver another blow but to help him stand up again. It was strange that someone cared... The words of the last night... 'You're so lovely, squirming in pain like this...' a nasty echo in his head. His hands clenched to fists and he forced back the tears again. Again, like so many times before. No more crying... He'd sworn. But it was one of those promises that were near impossible to keep.

"Come. We should ride back." He felt a firm hand touch his shoulder and looked up into Ma Chao's hazel eyes, the man smiling warmly at him.

"Back...?" He asked, a little dumbstruck.

"Yeah. Back home." The horseman answered, leading him towards his white mare.

He helped Jiang Wei up and swung himself into the saddle behind him. Spurring the horse gently, he coaxed the animal to set its well-trained legs into motion, trotting first and then quickly gaining speed. The echo of another horse's beating hooves close behind them, Jiang Wei leaned back as the exhaustion took its toll on him, nudging him to close his eyes.

He was still vigilant, as always when he got a chance for a doze but a strange feeling of safety crept up into his heart. A feeling he had forgotten for the past three years and hardly adjusted to. He simply still couldn't believe that it was over. The fear was still there as was the pain. The sharp pain that still devoured him from the inside, it was ever-present. Yet still... the spark of hope was gaining strength and he was not about to give up on converting this spark into something more.

It was then, riding into the sunset away from the outpost and away from his tortures and his tormentors, that the thoughts finally struck him fully. He was safe. He was out of his daily nightmare, away from his daily sufferings. Was it real? Or just a dream? A heavenly illusion cast upon him? Could it be the beginning of something new? Something he could discover the meaning of freedom and happiness in? He could only hope, and once in his life, he was desperately willing to.

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><p>Phew. It was a piece of work to work this piece of work over, I tell you. The prologue, as a prologue should be, is rather short, but don't worry, the chapters themselves are quite a bit longer. And after I've fine-brushed them, they'll probably grow in length all the more.<p>

Read and Review, my dears, and I will love you for it 3! *laughs*

See you next chapter!

Kate


	2. Chapter 1

Oh jeez, editing this chapter made me face-palm so bad quite a few times. I could certainly tell that a teenage fangirl had been writing it back then *laughs* Now with the angst-caused sappiness- and fluffiness-factor burned down to a (hopefully) normal level and padded with more notional and emotional depth, I'm actually rather pleased with the outcome. The original version of the story counts five chapters until I dropped it, but I think I'm gonna rewrite some of them almost completely from scratch.

I'm aware that writing angst often prompts over-weepiness and over-weakness of characters, and admittedly, it likely was the case with the original version *coughs* It hadn't been criticized back then though, so it either wasn't really all that bad or people had been nice to me XD I suppose that accounts to the fact that the story and the plot in itself are (hopefully) promising and interesting.

However, I'm also aware that people tend to criticize a too tough and unaffected character just as much. Then there arise the accusations of that character being too Gary Stue-ish/Mary Sue-ish and not acting/reacting accordingly to how a victim of rape/abuse/torture should.

Though I myself hadn't yet been criticized in either aspect, I've seen reviews on other fictions go both ways.

I suppose writing such a setting/character is always a balance act between those two extremes (too weepy or too shallow), and ultimately, rape/abuse/torture itself is a serious issue that shouldn't either be over-dramatized, over-romanticized, or used too thoughtlessly in a story (i.e. only as a mean for coupling). Ultimately, every person perceives the description of it differently, and I shall hope I will manage to keep it real and reasonable in relation to all characters and story alike.

All this said, I would only want to add one more thing unrelated to the previous topic: the TIMELINE~ Or, a mild lack thereof *laughs* I've taken the liberty not to abide the original historical guidelines -in view of characters' age, or battles- too strictly. Meaning that there will be battles you never heard of in the game/history, and that birth and death dates of the characters stray from the originals. Of course I still won't be placing Wu Chang Plains before the Yellow Turban Rebellion or some such, so no worries XD Some consistency shall be kept =3

And another small note... Zhao Yun's eyes are a light-green in here (I seen people disagree on his eye-colour, brown and green both seem to be favoured and ultimately, nobody can know for sure). You'll just have to bear with that *laughs* For me, I picked it because such a colour is kind of both suiting and allegorical for his character in particular, a~nd because it makes descriptions easier.

So much for the preamble, off goes:

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"We're there." A soft voice interrupted Jiang Wei's half-slumber and his eyes swiftly fluttered open. The horses had indeed halted, and no place else than at Cheng Du palace. It probably was the inner courtyard of the palace, he could hear a fountain splashing somewhere nearby.

Ma Chao got off the horse and helped the boy down as well. No one was out in the courtyard; it had to be pretty late. The moon stood high in the dark-blue firmament and the stars shone brightly, not covered by the clouds that were common for the late summer time.

"I see the mission was a success." A quiet, poised voice sounded from behind them and Jiang Wei turned to see the mastermind of Shu and probably of all China appearing before them - Zhuge Liang. The man smiled warmly at him, slightly waving the feather fan he held in his right hand.

"Yes, Prime Minister. As you see, we brought him here safely." Zhao Yun replied and looked at the boy standing between him and Ma Chao. The youngest amid them appeared a bit intimidated and insecure, obviously still not able to believe what was happening.

"Jiang Wei, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am both relieved and grateful to welcome you here." Zhuge Liang turned to the young one, having a pair of fawn eyes stare back at him in a somewhat disbelieving as though expecting him to disappear in the next few moments.

"I do understand it is a big change for you and I realize you must be very confused about the current situation. Still, I hope you will be able to receive here the support you need to find you way back to normality." The strategist continued, this time receiving an actual answer from the reserved boy.

"I really do not understand your interest in me, Prime Minister. How did you know? And why did you send men for me?" He finally scraped up a bit of his long-shattered confidence to ask.

"I know you have many questions about my reasons and intentions, but you must be very tired since I presume that you did not have much rest neither yesterday nor during your entire residence in Wei. It may be more suitable if we discussed this tomorrow." A light smile curled Zhuge Liang's lips; he spoke gently yet distinctly.

"If you so wish, Prime Minister, I have no objections." A respectful response, supplemented by an expression of gratitude. "I'm deeply indebted to you, thank you so much for concerning yourself with somebody like me. I do not know how I can ever repay you for your kindness." Still wondering about the hows and whys, the boy bowed his head. Despite the treatment he'd been receiving, he was well-educated and well-mannered, and knew to hold himself accordingly.

The humble demeanour elicited yet another smile from China's Mastermind. "That is not necessary. Do not think so little of yourself, Jiang Wei. There is no such thing as a young life not worth saving. I am sure anyone in my place would have acted the same given they knew the truth." Yes, Zhuge Liang was very certain of that. But all those matters were best talked about tomorrow, he believed it had been enough strain put onto Jiang Wei for today.

"Dear generals, I'll leave the rest to you. Take care of the boy, and have a good night." The Shu tactician thus wished and with a nod towards his two fellow officers, disappeared in the shadows of the palace arcs.

"Very well. Come, this way." Zhao Yun stepped forward to lead them through the hallways to a room door.

He pushed it open and Jiang Wei stepped inside, followed by the second Tiger General who nudged the door shut and plunged the entire space into complete darkness. "Be careful. There's a table standing here somewhere." He heard him speak a warning while Zhao Yun rummaged for the oil lamp.

"Somewhere?" Jiang Wei reiterated and stopped in caution.

"Yeah. The palace is currently being renovated after a fire, and we're a little short on living space. Normally everyone of us has a room of their own, but right now we had to move together for a while... ouch! Dammit!" There was a thumping noise followed by some more cursing.

"Now who's got to watch out?" Zhao Yun questioned with a laugh, still searching for the oil lamp.

"It would be better if you'd find that fucking lamp already instead of making smart remarks!" Was the snappy answer, the horseman's ferocious temper shining through.

"Hey, I too just moved in here so don't expect me to be well versed about the location of different items. Especially with your tendency to never place them back to where you took them from."

To that, Ma Chao only grumbled something indistinct while a smile slowly crept up the boy's lips as he listened to the small bicker between the two generals. They must be good friends... He stepped back to the entrance and fumbled for the handle in order to push the heavy oak door open again, allowing moonlight to fill the room.

"There, I think that should help." He said, eyeing the two men, or rather their silhouettes, in front of him.

"Good idea. No wonder you're a to-be-strategist." Ma Chao chuckled while Zhao Yun finally gripped the oil lamp and soon a soft light flickered up to fill the room with a warm yellow.

In there, approximately in the room's middle, he saw the culprit of the previous commotion - the table that Ma Chao was standing near. The room itself was divided in some kind of two areas by a dark-red curtain which hung to Jiang Wei's left across the big chamber. Several cupboards stood on the posterior wall and the wall to his right. There truly was not much space, but enough for two chairs that stood at the table opposite each other. Jiang Wei's gaze wandered to the crimson curtain that partitioned the living space in two.

"Behind it is the bedroom, if you can call it that." The horseman of Xi Liang casually waved his hand at the mentioned curtain. "The bed is rather huge and your stature considered, I think there will be no problem for the three of us to fit in. If you don't mind, of course." Otherwise they would have to go looking for a room where the young one could have a spare bed of his own, or the two of them would have to camp out in the palace courtyard.

A failed assassination attempt committed barely a couple of day ago had been the cause of the dilemma, the assassin hadn't been able to take the life he had come here for, but for that he had been successful in arson. Most of the palace's outer scaffold had been restored by now, unfortunately it still required time until everything inside would be rebuild again and all of it was still a bit chaotic. Consequently all the generals, advisors, officials and servants who occupied the place had to form involuntary living communities for the time being, which wasn't a bother for many, especially not for the war-tested.

Being close friends as it was, the two Tiger Generals had had no problem sharing a room, or a sleeping spot for that matter, it wasn't much different whenever they were out on campaign and shared a tent that would always still be rather spacious compared to those the infantry soldiers used, sometimes piling up to fifteen men into one tent. If the boy were to be entirely uncomfortable with the arrangement, Zhuge Liang would surely find a way to provide him a single abode the soonest, but for tonight this would have to make due.

Jiang Wei started to feel uneasy at the prospect of sharing a bed but ultimately thought that it would likely never be as horrible as 'sharing' same bed with Dian Wei or Xu Huang. He shuddered at the memories and quickly chased them away. No, it didn't appear that the two Shu officers had even the smallest hint of the same intentions.

"No, it okay... I guess." He thus replied, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.

He noticed the concern reflecting in the jade-hued eyes of the older general and added: "It's all right, really." He felt in no position to be asking anything as it was, last thing he wanted was to cause any additional trouble. Just being allowed to stay was already enough, stay here, in safety, and for that, he would sleep wherever you'd place him in, even on the ground or outside because it would likely still be a better rest than he'd ever gotten back in Wei.

"Good. Don't know about you but I'm tired like a horse after a day of running." Ma Chao stretched and pulled the curtain aside. It appeared that there were actually two curtains that met in the middle, so you could push them asunder if you wanted to enter the provisional bedroom.

"Do you want a drink, Jiang Wei?" Zhao Yun turned to the boy again, watching him nod.

"Please, take a seat." He offered, and turned to the cupboards.

Jiang Wei nodded once more, carefully sitting down onto one of the chairs, back facing the 'bedroom' and flinched slightly as he heard another thumping noise.

"Ah, curses! Is there no better place for a bedside locker?"

He smiled again, hearing a chuckle from Zhao Yun. "Need a light?" The Dragon queried, turning a second oil lamp on and stepping to the curtains.

"That would be nice." A disgruntled reply echoed and Zhao Yun entered the bedroom. The light of the lamp now shone weakly from behind the thick fabric and a slight red hue spread in the half-room Jiang Wei was left in.

"I think he had enough of relocations for today." Zhao Yun re-entered, smiling warmly at the boy, a hint of amusement on the handsome features. He received a shy smile in response. Even if faintly, at least Jiang Wei was smiling, and he thought that to be a good sign. Least he wanted was to make the young one more uncomfortable than he probably already was.

"Here." A cup of water was soon placed in front of Jiang Wei and the taller warrior took a seat opposite him. Taking several small swallows, the former Wei member looked at the surface of the water in the cup. It mirrored the light slightly and reminded him of tears. Like those he'd cried so many times, when finally alone, every single night. Tears of pain and hatred. What would it be like now? Would it possibly be his first night without any tears at all?

"If I may ask, how old are you, Jiang Wei?" a quiet voice interrupted his trail of thoughts.

Zhao Yun had been watching the boy closely and noticed the sudden sadness that had descended upon his finely shaped features. He seemed to drift off into his world of sorrow and suffering again, so the older male had hurried to tug him back out.

"Me? I'm seventeen." Jiang Wei answered, lifting his gaze and looking a bit distracted and weary.

The older general almost frowned, even if the expression itself stayed missing from his handsome features. Seventeen... Just as assumed, and just like his outer appearance suggested. Still so young. A mere teen... And already having had to undergo so much. Still he struck the eye as a much more mature individual, which probably wasn't a surprise. His days in Wei must have made him age too quickly to be fair. "I believe we should head to bed as well. Don't you think?" Zhao Yun got up, not without smiling softly at the other.

Jiang Wei's eyes had followed his movements, and found themselves mesmerized by pale-emerald depths. They were a rarity in themselves, such a glorious colour uncommon amidst people of their origin, yet they became all the more magnificent when they shone with warmth and sympathy which was also something he wasn't used to seeing in other people's eyes. In the past three years, no one had really been nice to him. No one had ever given him a warm smile. The smirks and leers and grins he always received where cruel and devouring. He was rather overwhelmed by the geniality and care these people showed towards him, feeling as though it all was a dream of sorts. It had to be... Albeit he strongly hoped he would not wake up from it just to find himself amidst his daily nightmare again.

Suddenly a violent fear gripped his mind. What if this really _was_ a dream? What if it wasn't real? Maybe he was just hallucinating after having received the next beating. Maybe he'd been drugged, and was just envisioning this and that, and would soon wake up to discover his body tied to someone's bed again, with cuts and bruises all over? What if it all would just disappear? Right now?

His breathing quickened and his vision nearly lost focus on concrete shapes and contours. He didn't want to go back. Not again into his nightmare. Not again into suffering and nights full of pain and crying. Not again. Please, not again.

"Jiang Wei? Is everything all right?" Zhao Yun stepped closer to him quickly, taking the boy's chin in order to lift his head up a bit and cast an observing look into sad, now scared fawn eyes.

"I'm afraid that I will wake up." Jiang Wei whispered desperately, shivering at the touch.

"Wake up?" The Tiger General repeated, not really understanding what the other was talking about. He was very much concerned about his current state and wanted to help him out of it somehow, but to reassure him in any way he had to know what exactly the youth was so violently scared of.

"I'm afraid it's just a dream. That I will wake up again... back there..." Another whisper, the tuneful voice almost cracking under the pressure of the fear that very thought instilled into Jiang Wei.

Finally, Zhao Yun seemed to comprehend. Another smile, and he moved his hand away from the sculptured chin to calmingly sift his fingers through chestnut hair. The reason for Jiang Wei's distress aside, the innocence that was shining through was rather lovely. How did it even manage to survive under the cruelty he had experienced...?

"No, it's not a dream. Don't worry, it's all perfectly real. No one is going to hurt you again." He ascertained, glad to see that disquietude subside.

"Have no fear. Come, you are exhausted and should get some rest." He didn't doubt that a fair part of the boy's agitation and affliction stemmed from overfatigue. Once the other stood and made his way to the sleeping area, Zhao Yun extinguished the oil lamp on the table prior to following Jiang Wei who was visibly reassured by the older man's words. Of course he still could not be completely certain whether it was a dream but if it was one... he was glad to have it.

"Hey. Took you long enough to get here." Ma Chao was already in bed which was indeed rather huge. The second half of the room was a bit smaller than the 'kitchen' and only had said bed, a closet and two bedside tables. It also had a window right opposite the bed but there was no light coming through, probably because of the clouds that had returned to shield the moonlight.

"Here, you can put this on." Jiang Wei's thoughts snapped back from his observations to the here and now, and he looked at a black shirt Zhao Yun held out to him. It was then he realized that he actually had nothing to wear, at all. Spare for the attire he had on his body; which was dusty and therefore likely not very suited to go to bed in. He nodded gratefully and took the article of clothing from the Tiger General.

He avoided lifting his face while Zhao Yun changed clothes until a pair of linen pants and a white shirt remained the only thing to clad his stately body. It wasn't like he hadn't seen men without any, or with any possible kind, of garment on. It wasn't like he himself hadn't been stark naked in front of many eyes, either. Exactly that, was the reason there was so much shame in a task as simple as undressing in front of somebody, even of the same gender, or watch them undress in immediate vicinity.

"I hope you don't mind sleeping in the middle?" Zhao Yun asked while putting the pile of neatly folded clothes atop the small table at the unoccupied side of the bed. It was then that Jiang Wei realized he still clutched the shirt he had been given, keeping his sight drilled towards the ground as he turned away from facing the bed and, spare for the underwear, quickly ridding himself of the layers of material cloaking him.

"By Suzaku..." Ma Chao's words were barely mouthed and thus not audible for the boy. Zhao Yun however, turned to his friend, surprised what might have happened and then followed the appalled gaze to have his own stopping on Jiang Wei's back.

He blinked several times at the image he was seeing. The young boy's back was covered with scars, longer and shorter ones, deep ones and not so much, some uneven, some perfectly straight, others completely distorted. A part was likely stemming from brute whipping, others from cutting weapons of sorts, daggers maybe, a bunch looked ragged and especially nasty as though carved in with fire or acid. Spots of skin were bruised badly, the fresh bruises still faint and bluish, the older ones a more vicious green and yellow melting into a strong purple. Some of the cuts seemed to have been inflicted rather recently, too. Some of them seemed to be much older; they were deep scars imprinted on the pale skin as if the wounds had been refreshed over and over again. Goddammit... They should let a doctor check him in the morning, make sure nothing was broken or too badly damaged. He had not noticed the boy acting as though he was in pain, and he didn't want to imagine that maybe, the youth might simply be too good in either hiding or ignoring it.

Feeling intense gazes on his back Jiang Wei quickly pulled the shirt over his head to let the fabric conceal the horrific picture, turning around. He witnessed the slightly shaken expressions and lowered his head, his pearly teeth biting upon his bottom lip. He was ashamed because he knew how bad his back looked. Not just his back, his whole body was covered in all possible kinds of unsightly scars and blemishes. Only his face had been spared of any marks, most of them born from the outrages of his captors. He swallowed thickly and walked towards the bed, hesitantly handing the small bundle of his clothes to Zhao Yun so the man could place them away to wherever he was pleased. He didn't want to speak about any of it just yet, thankful that neither Tiger General was asking questions.

He really was drained and worn out, so he slipped under the large blanket with some sort of relief, his body welcoming the opportunity to finally lie down for a little and that without the need of maintaining constant alert tension. Zhao Yun blew out the oil lamp, plunging the room into comforting darkness. Darkness had always been comforting for Jiang Wei. In darkness, you couldn't see, and you couldn't _be_ seen. Darkness hid you. To what little extent it could, it protected you.

The bed rocked mildly when another weight eased down onto it, and although they weren't touching, Jiang Wei felt the presence and the very faint warmth of another body either side of him. It was a really, really strange feeling that they just... laid there. No groping, no hideous contact, not even the slightest brushing of skin. No ghosting of breath, no matter if stained with alcohol or not, creeping along his neck. No nefarious words whispered into his ear. Even as minutes passed, with him frozen there in the middle, barely daring to breathe, anxious and awaiting for some evil to befall him, nothing at all happened.

He felt strangely safe, close to how he wanted to feel so many times before when lying in silence and in darkness. He felt shielded, and... protected, because he knew the two men next to him meant no harm. He almost felt like simply curling up against one of them - of course he never would have dared to do something like that, therefore he just enjoyed the safety he was perceiving with his sense and senses. Throughout the time span of a whole three years, he was averse to bodily contact, yet this time around... he actually wouldn't mind. Ultimately, like any human being on this earth, he longed for safeguarding warmth and a gentle embrace to hold and carry him through his weakest moments. But the kind of contact he'd been receiving back in Wei was demanding, hurtful and completely against his will. It had tainted his perception of this world, had made him fear and condemn another person's touch.

Now things were changing. Much too quickly for him to fully understand the meaning but the important core of it was that he was here, in bed with two men who had no ulterior motives or crude intentions, on the contrary, who were there to offer a sliver of comfort and safety. It was the first night in three years where he didn't feel like crying his very soul out. He sighed, softly but contently, finally feeling restful and relaxing.

Slowly, slowly, his eyes fluttered shut and his consciousness began to drift. Away, away, into something warm, something fuzzy and unfamiliarly familiar, until- The clangour of a rough slap.

"Wake up, you little slut! I'm not finished with you yet!" A sneer cut further through the silence and Jiang Wei's eyes snapped open again, widening in shock as he found himself on the ground with a tall figure towering above him.

"Awake, honey? Time to continue the fun, then."

That voice... His vision cleared and he saw non other than Cao Pi standing before him. Next to him his beautiful wife, but there was nothing beautiful to the object she held in her hand. It wasn't her customary flute that could play such lovely tunes, but a solid bullwhip which triggered an entirely different array of sounds when it was being used.

His heart shrunk painfully as stark panic rapidly seared through every inch and every nerve of his body and mind. He started shaking violently, realizing that it really had been just a dream. He should have known. There was no rescue and salvation for him. Never had been. His fears had been confirmed, now he was back where he never wanted to be.

"Oh, darling, look - he can't await it. He's already shaking with excitement!" Zhen Ji's venomously sweet voice floated through the air, and he felt the whip coming down onto his body to leave a burning gash of pain across it. He flinched cruelly, and closed his eyes, willing to die right there on the ground.

"Have I allowed you to close your eyes, slut?" Cao Pi gripped his collar and jerked him up onto his feet. "_Look at me_ when I'm talking to you!" The young Wei successor to-be commanded, reinforcing his order with several good smacks.

Still, the boy refused to open his eyes. Simply out of defiance, he refused. He knew he could do little to defend himself and he was not allowed to disobey. But still, he just couldn't open up his eyes. He couldn't bear to be back again, back in this horrible, horrible nightmare again. He just wanted to cry and run away, hide somewhere where no one, no one would ever, ever find him. And yet here he was, desperate and scared to death. Why did he have to have that dream of being free? Was fate that malicious, showing him how his life could have been? Safe and protected, cared for, and wanted and accepted? Treated like a human being, like an equal... Showing him all that... Just to place him back again where he would never experience any of it? His whole body was wrecked by violent shivers, his mind overtaken by despondency and fear.

"Zhen, my love, I think someone wants some punishment!"

He felt himself being thrown onto the bed and the whip swished down onto him once more. Again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again and again and again. He was cringing harshly each time it lashed across his quivering figure, but still he refused to cry. He would not do them that favour. Would not give them the pleasure of seeing him cry like a helpless child which was exactly what he felt he was right know.

"Would you _open your eyes_ and look at me, you dirty whore? Hey!" Cao Pi's voice was rabid, his temper rising quickly.

"Teach him some manners, darling!" His charming spouse, seemingly very amused by the display of desperate resistance. He knew they both must be a little –or a lot- drunk, like always when Zhen Ji didn't mind her husband toying with the teen. Somewhere she must have hated the boy for that, still. And probably, it only gave her all the more reason not to hold back in her sadistic treatment of him.

"Stubborn tonight, are we?"

His body almost shattered with the violent shudder that rattled through him as a weight descended down, Cao Pi's taller figure atop him, pushing his frail frame deep into the soft mattress. He felt alien lips press against his own, and his stomach twist as a tongue brusquely forced its way into his mouth. The bitter taste of wine almost caused him to retch, and the hands roaming all over him made the shivers grow worse.

"You dare to disobey me? Don't want to _open _up _your_ pretty _eyes_ for me, do you? Alright, little slut." His clothes being ripped from his body, his lips were free again to allow him a breath. He gasped it in, and tried to push the other off him – without any success.

"You so desperately want me to tear you open, don't you, slut? Don't you?" The inebriated voice in his ear, while the figure hovering above him shifted, ready to penetrate him violently. No preparation, only a lust to draw blood.

"No..." He managed to whisper as his mind abandoned every rational thought. He was terrified, it had always been a torture, but now, after the bitter realization that he was back in his hell, he was broken. He didn't even have that little bit of spirit strength that would stop him from pleading with them. He had sworn he'd never plead with them again. Because it was no use, no use at all, it only gave those who repeatedly began this ordeal another twist of pleasure.

Yet all hope within was gone, no power to resist at all, leaving only vast misery and despair remain. Nothing but pain and panic. He felt his walls crumble as tears sprung from under his closed eyes.

"Crying, are we? That's right. Cry for me, slut. I want you to cry when I rip you apart, you hear me?" That horrible, horrible sensation of hard flesh pressing at his entrance.

"No... d-don't..." His voice finally cracked as sobs broke loose from his chest.

This wasn't fair... He didn't want this. He wanted to be far, far away from here. He wanted to be back in Cheng Du, in a small provisional bedroom, on a large bed between two people who meant no harm. And yet, he was here. He was here. With his last will to resist in shambles, and his last spark of hope taken away, there was nothing more left. Nothing more left. Like always... Always...

"I can't hear you, slut. C'mon, cry it out for me. Look at me, damn you! _Open your eyes!_"

"No... N-no, d-don't... ple-ease..." He was weeping now, pitifully and pathetically, exactly like he'd been weeping when they did this to him for the very first time. No more... Gods, please, no more...

He had been fourteen as they first did this to him. And he had been screaming and pleading and crying and writhing as they did so. But not a cry, not a plea and not a whimper had been listened to. After that he'd sworn, sworn he would never cry again in front of any of them another time. He would never, ever do them that favour. And yet here he was again - broken and crying.

_"Open your eyes, you dirty whore!__ Hey!"_

"Open your eyes! Jiang Wei! Wake up!"

Wake up...? What did that mean? Wake up? He was awake already, was he not?

"Jiang Wei! Boy, wake up!"

His eyes snapped open, yet again, and he had to blink several times due to the tears that were pouring amply out of them. He saw dim yellow light, and faces... Ma Chao and Zhao Yun, who were sitting up in the bed, the second one hovering over him and shaking him by the shoulders, gently but demandingly.

The Dragon had stirred to awareness when he'd heard someone weeping. He needed no more than a few seconds to wake up, just to realize that somebody was crying. It wasn't anything completely unusual to experience, during campaigns you could often hear young soldiers cry at night in camp, just freshly recruited, some much too young to even handle a weapon, trying not to lose their mind after their first day of brutal battle and bloody slaughter. If they were lucky, they had friends or more veteran comrades to comfort them. If not, they suffered on their own, sometimes for weeks and months on end because it simply wasn't possible to tend to every single one of them, and between mental and physical issues, bodily injuries always had priority in treatment. A soldier with a broken soul could still fight, maybe even better than if he were healthy, the one with a broken leg could not. But this night was supposed to be peaceful. Unless...

A quick look to his side had confirmed his fears - Jiang Wei was shivering madly, tossing about shedding tears, whispering desperate pleas. It didn't take him long to understand that the boy must be having a really bad nightmare. It shouldn't have surprised him as much as it'd done; what had he expected? That just by telling him that he was safe now, you could erase all that which had been, mentally and physically, carved into him by years of mistreatment and abuse?

Thusly, he'd switched on the lamp and then tried to wake the young one up. That'd been about the time Ma Chao was pulled from sleep as well, needing a few moments to fully comprehend the situation.

Now Jiang Wei was thankfully wide awake, too, staring up at the two of them with panic-stricken eyes, unwitting tears pearling down his cheeks. His body was shaking uncontrollably, lithe fingers clutching the sheets in a dead grip.

"Jiang Wei, calm down. It was just a nightmare." Zhao Yun finally raised his voice again when those eyes seemed to have recognized him, speaking up as calmly as he could.

Abruptly, the boy gave off a broken whimper and shot upright on the bed, locking his arms tightly around Zhao Yun's neck and burying his face in the curve of it. This had to be reality... he'd lose his mind if it was not.

The Tiger General was slightly taken aback at the sudden action, nearly toppling off the edge of the bed with the momentum of the other's motion. Listening to the first muffled sobs tearing out of the boy's chest, he muted a sigh within the firmness of his own ribcage and thoughtfully wrapped his arms around the young, shaken up existence, smoothing a hand over his hair and down his trembling back.

"Easy now, Jiang Wei. It's okay... It was just a nightmare. You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you." Whispering those soothing sentences into the distressed creature's ear, trying to calm him down and take away the fear, he hoped he was saying the right words and doing the right thing. Last thing he wanted was for the already freaked presence to freak out even more.

He gave Ma Chao some sort of reassuring look that he could handle the situation, the younger general eyeing the bundle of human around his neck with a somewhat concerned-forlorn expression before dragging a hand through the own hair. He hadn't seen anybody being this... distraught, if not frantic, in a long time. He had seen people, dying people, crippled people, but this was something else. Injured could be helped with treatment, the dying - with a deathblow. But this... How could this be helped? Slowly sinking back into the covers, Ma Chao assumed there was little for him to do but to leave it up to his brother-in-arms to manage this. Zhao Yun was better with that kind of thing anyhow. He resembled their Lord in that aspect, able to soothe a person's heart and mind; he had those soft skills that Ma Teng's son if not lacked, then never really showed or applied to anyone aside maybe his horse.

Jiang Wei on his part, clung to Zhao Yun as if for the dear life. The strong yet soft embrace of the older man was comforting, an invisible ointment to his mental wounds that had sprung open after the gruesome nightmare. The entirety of the past three years' horror and agony that had crushed down onto his tattered soul threatened to break it into thousands of pieces again, remnants of terror clinging to his consciousness like droplets of acid. He so desperately wanted this to be real, that the mere image of it being not, threatened to reduce him to rubble. For how long he had wished his personal hell to be over, it was near impossible to believe that this time it really... really was.

But the warmth of the strong body and the gently whispered words of reassurance didn't miss their aim. No one was going to hurt him. He was safe here. It'd been just a nightmare. Just a nightmare... No. A day before this nightmare had been more than authentic enough... but now... no more. He was safe. Safe. Safe. Repeating it, he also tried _realizing _it. Safe. Finally. Safe. And then, somewhere in there, the quiet tears of pain somehow mixed up with tears of immense relief before slowly running dry. Over. It was over.

With Jiang Wei's distress quieting down, Zhao Yun turned to put the fire of the lamp out again, and then slowly allowed himself to sink back into the sheets, too, gingerly pulling the slender form clinging to his own, down with him. The boy immediately curled up against him as soon as his head touched the pillow. He still subconsciously winced and shivered in the Tiger General's arms - his body's last efforts to drive out the rest of that bone-chilling fear.

"Hush now, boy. You're safe here. Come on, try to rest a bit." A quiet urging coming from behind in accordance with a light, soothing brush of hand along his shoulder and arm, and although his initial reaction was a mild flinch, he was equally grateful for the additional support. He closed his eyes, body and soul back in balance now, Ma Chao's head sinking back into the pillows again after he'd uttered those placid words.

Feeling safe and protected in his haven formed by two strong entities nearby, Jiang Wei sighed in both relief and... contentment born out of the touch of... peace coming over him. He felt cosy and comfortable, and unwittingly snuggled deeper into his hide-away between two sources of steadfast, dependable warmth. Safety was a feeling so very long wished-for and precious that in this one moment, it didn't really matter who or what was gifting it to him, he just absorbed it, willingly and gratefully. Soon after that all three of them finally drifted off into a sound, much needed slumber, allowing body and mind to rest.

* * *

><p>See, I told you these things will be getting longer *laughs* I hope you have enjoyed the read, and remember - Reviews are love and make the muses work faster! X3<p>

On another side note: please also don't hesitate to voice out your suggestions on what could be included into the plot, this and that which you would like to read about in connection to the story setting. The storyline is not as fixed as that I'm not open to new ideas and should I take to them, I'm always up to weave them into the story itself. It's just my offer for you to actively help shape this fiction should you feel the push for it. I'm sure that can make both writing and reading another titbit more fun =3

*cookies for everyone*

Kate


	3. Chapter 2

Hmph. I think this is the last chapter that will be taking the original as a base, because the ones that follow are just plain... unusable. They definitely went wa~y off in almost all departments, especially drama *laughs* Ah. To be young and foolish again XD

So. Off goes another one~!

**Chapter Two**

Jiang Wei woke up when he heard somebody talking quietly, and had to blink several times before he could realize where he actually was. The bed was empty except of him and he found himself being thoughtfully covered up with the blanket. Obviously the two Tiger Generals were up already and talked quietly about something in the provisional kitchen.

Smiling softly to himself he sat up in the bed and stretched before soundlessly slipping out of it. It was early in the morning, approximately around eight or nine a.m. He searched for his clothes to put on, the whole time thinking about yesterday's occurrences and remembering the vicious nightmare sent a cold shiver running down his spine. It was not the first time he had suffered through this kind of dream but yesterday it seemed more horrifying than ever. Only imagining that he really could have woken up in his former room in the Wei palace... Violently shaking his head to get rid of the unpleasant thoughts, he tightly closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He really hoped he would never return back to the hell he'd been living. Never.

The boy sighed and stepped to the curtains, ready to push them asunder but stopped and listened to the quiet conversation. He wasn't really the type for eavesdropping but they seemed to talk about no other than him so he got curious.

"Don't worry so much, Yun. He's a strong boy, he'll make it. Besides, he's not alone anymore, he got us to help." That was Ma Chao's voice, characteristically strong and boisterous even despite the lowered volume.

"I know. But still, he looked so shattered yesterday. He said he was afraid that this all was just a dream, and then that nightmare... The things he had been through had to be worse than what we had heard out of the scout reports."

Jiang Wei had to swallow. He didn't want to know what the scouts had reported to them but what he was rather certain of was that they most likely didn't report even the half of it. The full dimension of his sufferings was known only by him alone because he had lived through it day by day, three condemned years long.

"I definitely agree with you about yesterday, but I'm sure things will improve the longer he stays with us. Some wounds he has won't heal completely but be positive. He's out of harm's way now, and that's exactly how we'll keep it." Where Zhao Yun was often the voice of reason and composure, his friend was definitely the voice of optimism and conviction.

"There's nowise those bastards are gonna have as much as a glimpse of him again. And once China's ours, we'll make them pay." Ma Chao's inflection grew more confident with every syllable, and Jiang Wei could hear the notes of anger covibrate in it.

He closed his eyes to let the younger Tiger General's words take their effect on him. '_Some wounds he has won't heal completely but be positive. He's out of harm's way, and that's exactly how we'll keep it. There's nowise those bastards are gonna have as much as a glimpse of him again. And once China's ours, we'll make them pay.' _His heart hitched as they echoed in his head what felt like ten times over.

_Why? Why do they __care so much? Why am I so important to them?_ He kept asking himself that, but he couldn't find an answer.

"The thing I cannot grasp is - how can people be so cruel?" Zhao Yun's voice intoning once more, brought him back to reality. _How can people be so nice?_ A counter-question immediately formed in his mind. He never knew someone could care so much. Someone whom he didn't even know for long, if at all. How could this be? The past three years had taught him not to trust anyone, often enough not even himself. They taught him nothing but pain and humiliation. But why was he feeling so familiar with these people? What was this strange emotion he couldn't refer to anything? It was as though he... as though he... belonged.

"That's a mystery to me, too. I mean, all right, I get it some sick bastards likely had their fun and entertainment out of it, but there must have been at least a few who couldn't tolerate it."

At that deliberation, the seventeen-year-old had to struggle hard to ignore the vicious burning sensation in his eyes. **Betrayal** was the word that stood in blood-red letters within his mind. Betrayal which had hurt far more than any physical damage ever could.

"There had been. But instead of helping they ultimately choose to take part."

Both men turned to the curtains as Jiang Wei raised his voice, softly, attempting his best not to let it waver. He tried his best not to look as broken as he felt inside, and finally pushed the curtains asunder, entering the room. The first gaze he met was intense, coming out of jade-hued eyes and he lowered his own after he'd tried to fake some kind of a smile but failed.

"It must have been very hard. I'm really sorry about what'd happened to you."

Jiang Wei was glad as Ma Chao chose to break the somewhat uneasy silence in the room. He shook his head, hearing the apology. "Don't be. Nobody is to blame for what had happened to me. Only I myself, maybe." He admitted quietly.

"No. You're the last person to hold responsible for it. There was little you could have done to change what had been taking place. Never blame yourself for that, you've endured bravely, and more than should have ever been demanded of you."

His head snapped up at this reply from the older Tiger General, meeting the reassuring and warm gaze of those magnificent pools of mild green. A gentle smile curled the Dragon's lips and it made the boy's heart swell with deep gratitude. He didn't deserve...

Those were the most encouraging words that had been directed at him in a very long time. He really did think, more often than not, with and without reason, that him ending up in such a miserable position had been entirely his fault. That he was not strong enough, not confident enough, not valiant enough to break loose. Now it finally dawned properly on him that there really had been little he _could_ have done. They'd had his mother and any wrong move of his could have been the end of her life. If he had abandoned her for his own sake, would that have made him selfish? Those self-destructing monologues he had carried out with himself almost every night - there were all of no use but to destroy his crumbling self-esteem and the little of self-belief he had had. He had never really been aware of this because his mind had been reigned by pain and misery, and it had been so difficult to see through the mist of tears and agony and sorrow.

"Thank you. For everything." He finally managed a whisper.

"You're very much welcome, Jiang Wei. Just know that whenever you need someone to talk to, you can always come see me or Chao. Alright?" It was a genuine offer, an honest try to help.

"Alright." He nodded slightly and this time, an unadulterated smile brightened his features, the first real one that had touched his lips in what felt like... ages. It made the two older men smile, too, before a knock on the door caught their attention, Ma Chao rising up his seat to open up.

"Good morning, Prime Minister. I thought you would stop by sooner than later." He greeted and stepped aside to allow the strategist to enter.

"Good morning." An attentive glance around the room. "I see everyone's awake already. I'm used of those two to be the early birds but I didn't think you were one as well." He smiled warmly, focusing on Jiang Wei.

"Good Morning, Prime Minister. In comparison to the past, I'd say I slept rather long today." The boy bowed, witnessing that placid smile disappearing from the Zhuge Liang's lips.

He felt sorry, he didn't have any intention to upset anyone with that statement. He'd simply verbalized the truth – usually, he'd be awake just a few hours after midnight. At celebrations and feasts he wouldn't get to sleep at all because then he'd be the main attraction for the drunken officers. He flinched at the memories and quickly chased them away.

"Is my mother all right?" He instead spoke out the question that was bothering him ever since he got to the Shu palace. He couldn't imagine that these people had done anything but their best to comfort his mother, but still he wanted to know that she was well first hand.

Zhuge Liang nodded and took a seat. Jiang Wei followed his example and sat down opposite the strategist. For the lack of any more chairs Zhao Yun remained standing, much like Ma Chao after he'd closed the door and leaned against it with arms crossed over his firm chest.

"Your mother had been brought to a house in the town part nearby the palace. She is fine; just very worried about you. And upset." The greatest Mastermind after Sun Tzu finally answered, seeing the concern that instantly lit up in the boy's eyes. He chose the words very carefully because he knew the to-come news would likely shock the other to a degree.

"What do you mean?" Jiang Wei elaborated, watching the man closely. He had an uneasy feeling about this...

"We told her the truth."

And that feeling confirmed itself, all emotions vanishing from Jiang Wei's quickly paling face upon hearing that statement. He looked stunned, his gaze almost panicky.

"She... knows...?" His voice almost cracked under the disbelief and the fear. He couldn't imagine how he should ever face his mother again now. His breathing quickened a little, lips trembling faintly, thus he bit upon the lower one to force some calm onto it as well as onto himself.

The Shu officers watched him with worry and Zhao Yun finally made his way over to stand beside him, his hand gently touching the teen's smaller appendage that had curled up in a fist atop the table. Jiang Wei flinched and looked up at him searching for some kind of support. He found it in one of those compassionate, encouraging smiles the taller male gave him what seemed every time he was insecure or scared.

"We had to tell her, there was no other way to convince her to leave. She said she would understand if you were not willing to visit her in the near time. I'm sorry but there was no other option to take. I think as your mother, she deserved to know." Zhuge Liang spoke again, watching the boy taking a deep breath before the youth nodded slowly.

"It's... fine. I'll... I'll meet with her shortly." He said quietly, looking at the strategist again. He knew he had to visit his mother as soon as possible to set things right. Although she had said she'd understand if he preferred to stay away, he knew she was likely in pain and likely blamed herself. He had to talk this out with her as much as he didn't want to.

"That would be a good choice made." Zhuge Liang agreed, feeling relieved that it didn't trouble the boy as gravely as he'd feared it would. Either that, or Jiang Wei was very good at hiding it.

"Still... what I don't understand is why you would come for me. What use am I to you?" The former Wei-officer posed another question that had been on his mind ever since.

"Our priority was to free you out of Wei's clutches. Villagers near Xu Chang had told our scouts about someone of great skill and intelligence being held in the castle. They also reported of that someone being treated very cruelly by their fellow officers. It did not require much time to figure out that this someone had to be you."

"You figured out? How?" Asking, Jiang Wei pondered how the villagers might have come to know about him in the first place. He found the explanation pretty quickly - that had to be due to the guards who often visited the tavern in the village because the wine was cheaper there. They must have let something slip while they were drunk. But still, how did Shu know it had to be him?

"It was not too hard of a conclusion to draw, primarily due to the battles. Some of us had fought against you, they noticed that no matter the amount or gravity of the injuries you would sustain, and which could have and should have been treated right, no one seemed to care." Though the other talked, Jiang Wei kept his vision fixed on the meek swaying of the fan guided by the man's hand, the motion sort of... sedative. Very much different from the feeling he always got when he'd watch Sima Yi hide half his face behind a black set of feathers... But it was better not to go there, those memories were vile. Well... like most of his memories were, he guessed.

"You were usually alone on the battlefield and the way the generals commanded you was not the proper way to treat an ally. There were many little things that have made us suspicious. After hearing the reports we planted a few spies in Wei. They confirmed our apprehensions." Zhuge Liang carried on with his explanation, all the time observing the small changes in Jiang Wei's expression until it was mostly dominated by pensiveness.

Jiang Wei himself hadn't realized that his behaviour and the behaviour of the other generals towards him on the battlefield was quite that eye-catching. Perhaps he'd simply gotten used to it... It was true; no one cared if he got injured in the battle and he himself didn't always have the time to tend to all them cuts and scratches himself. He handled them mostly after the battles even when he hadn't really known why he was doing it. What use was it to treat the wounds if they would be torn open a short while after?

"But still... Why would you come for me? It was not exactly your problem to worry about, was it? I mean..." He trailed off, not knowing how exactly to phrase what he tried to say. He just couldn't understand why these people seemed to care so much.

"It may be difficult for you to understand it yet, but not all people are as malicious as those you've been amid of. When our Lord Liu Bei learned about your predicament, he immediately wanted me to develop a strategy to free you." The gaze of his eyes was soft but soul-penetrating when Shu's mastermind placed a subtle yet momentous emphasis on his next words. "Jiang Wei, you're a human being who did not deserve the treatment you've been given. No one does."

Nonetheless, many more suffered. All over China, people suffered, and while only peace and end of war could alleviate the torment of the many, there was no excuse in missing the chance to help a single individual if it was in the range of your possibilities. Compassion and mercy should not be allowed to fall forgotten even in the darkest of times.

"There was no way we could just stand by and watch this happening to you, kid. There would have been no excuse if we hadn't helped." Ma Chao thus added, eyeing the boy whose face he was no longer able to see. The long strands of brown hair has scattered downwards covering the pale skin of his features as he stared into his lap, unable to look up at any of the three men there with him. They seemed too unreal to be true... Such a simple reason they presented him. Only a will to help. Without asking of anything in return. No ulterior motive, no demands. Nothing at all...

"Please excuse me." The teen suddenly rose up his seat, keeping his head low, his shoulders tensed, his voice small and quiet. A second later he pulled the curtains apart and quickly slipped back into the bedroom.

Zhao Yun pushed himself out of his leaning position against one of the counters and nodded reassuringly as he met his friend's worried gaze. "I'll minister to him." He informed chastely and followed the boy to where he had disappeared to.

Jiang Wei had halted by the window, distant eyes watching the scenery outside but barely seeing anything. He just couldn't understand at all. _'You are a human being who did not deserve the treatment you've been given.'_ Was it really that simple...? _'There was no way we could just stand by and watch this happening to you, kid. There would have been no excuses if we hadn't helped.' _The words played in his mind over and over again. Why was it that some people could and others couldn't?

_'I would help you, but I can't. Please understand. It's just too risky for me.'_ Another voice echoed in his head and he closed his eyes tightly feeling the pain rising in his chest. This just didn't match together. This couldn't be. Why could others idly watch those horrible things being done to him and some unbeknown people whom he had never seen in his entire life, spare on the battlefield, would come for him just because they heard from someone how miserable of a situation he was in? Moreover, technically, he was their enemy. Why would their help somebody who was considered a foe? Why even bother to look into it... It didn't make sense. Like two hemispheres of two different worlds, it didn't make a whole.

A shaky breath heaved his chest and he pressed a hand over his mouth to muffle any more of those against his palm, slinging his free arm around his own waist in a faintly hugging manner, hoping to stop his body from shivering. His eyes squeezed their lids together more tightly as he tried to will away the pictures appearing in his head.

The ropes...

_'I would help you, but I can't.' _

...cold steel...

'Please understand.'

...pain... blood...

_'I would help you but-'_ _but I don't want to_ _'-I can't...'_

...cries... his cries...

"Jiang Wei?"

He winced and veered around, eyes wide in shock and unconscious tears on the brim of overflowing, making his sight a blur of contours and colours. He recognized it was Zhao Yun who stood in front of him, seeming slightly taken aback by the image he was confronted with.

"Hey... Is everything alright?" The Tiger General asked in concern, placing a hand on the boy's faintly trembling shoulder.

Jiang Wei's hands clutched at his sides and he let his head sink once more, his eyes shut to force down... all of it. The tears and the sobs and the emotions and the pictures still burning in his mind, making his heart twitch and pull at the vein that bound it in place. He couldn't speak up, not yet, otherwise it all threatened to just... spill.

"I know it must be very hard for you. And I know it must hurt very much. Still, you're not alone anymore. We're there to help you make it through." Zhao Yun's calm voice, lowered to an comforting whisper, reached his ears, the strong hand on his shoulder squeezing there gingerly.

"How..." Jiang Wei paused to draw in a shaky breath, not yet looking up but thankful for the other's presence nearby. It was... alleviating. It made it easier to breathe through the pain. "How can this be...? They said they couldn't help... Why can you?" It was hard for him to speak and his words were near inaudible, halfway smothered by the counter-streaming thoughts in his head. The grip on his shoulder fortified a little; another gently delivered squeeze.

"Forget what they said. If someone's intention to help is honest and true, they always can." A quiet and steadfast reply, though Zhao Yun himself was fighting with his emotions. He felt so deeply sorry for the boy, for everything that happened to him. He knew he could do little to ease that anguish except of just offering him what little comfort he could provide, but he didn't know if it could possibly be enough.

The rage he felt however, was a wholly different side to the story. Normally, his usual demeanour abstained from emotions like hatred, or loathe, or the want for retribution. But the mere image of what had been done to the young life in front of him, caused his noble stand on some things to shift. All the more so as Jiang Wei continued.

"So they were saying it... just to..." It really had been it, hadn't it...? They were saying it... "Just to hurt me further? They were just..." But... "But why?" At last, he did look up at the Tiger General, akin to a confused child, his eyes fogged and their brown colour dull with that tormenting misery. He knew he was probably asking too much already, he of all people should understand the impossibility of answering such questions.

Regardless, he wanted to know why. Why was it him who had to go through all of that? Nobody knew even the _half_ of it. Not the smallest part of what he'd had to endure, what he'd had to do and what he had been done to. The pain grew worse, it tore him apart from the inside, so bad he wanted to scream. Just to scream his soul out so it wouldn't hurt anymore. But nothing more than cadenced, jagged exhales fell from his palely reddish lips.

With his second hand in motion, Zhao Yun took Jiang Wei by both his shoulders, holding that forlorn stare with a resolute, consoling one of his own. "Some things happen and we cannot explain why, Jiang Wei. It could be fate or just an unlucky fusion of events. It could be foreseen or just a doomed accident. No one knows. But that which had happened, does not matter anymore. What is important, is the here and now." He spoke quietly but firmly, looking deep into those pain-filled, fawn soul-mirrors, seeing there the miraculously preserved innocence that made it so hard for boy to understand... To understand why some people simply took pleasure seeing others in agony and crying.

"I'm still afraid this is just a dream." The teen whispered as if sharing a well-guarded secret. His deepest fears were that this all was just a heavenly chimera that would soon dissipate in a flock of white feathers and leave him to wake up in pits of Netherworld again.

A faint smile twitched the corner of the Dragon's mouth. "No, little one, it's not. It's over now, for good, and you don't have to suffer anymore. You're safe here, and no one's going to harm you again. Never again. Okay?" Zhao Yun was perfectly content seeing those mortally sad eyes gently lit up with a shimmer of hope. It wasn't much, but it was something. Things could only get better from here on. Of that he was sure. Of that, he was _going_ to make sure.

"Okay." Jiang Wei nodded ever so slightly, uttering that one tiny word so quietly as if afraid someone else except them two might hear it.

"Good. Everything will be alright." Zhao Yun assured once more, an pulled the smaller brunette into a brief, strong embrace.

Though he at first was hesitant to raise his arms, Jiang Wei ultimately guided them around the other's fair neck and locked them loosely behind it, smiling faintly. Comfort. It was even stranger of a feeling, than it was unbeknown of a word.

Zhao Yun understood well that he could not erase the memories that troubled the youth's fragile mind but he could be there for him to help him pull through. He could hold him when he felt shattered and he could tell him that everything was going to be fine when he was scared. It was an odd realization, standing there having such breakable of a being in his arms, that he apparently cared so much for the boy. He had grown attached to the seventeen-year-old in less than a couple days. But that didn't bother him at all. Likely it was Jiang Wei's natural charm that either planted into one the wish to hurt and toy with him, or to shield and watch out for him. Being an apt warrior and a promising prodigy of strategy aside, he was still only seventeen.

"Would you like to lay down for a little bit?" He posed a soft question, since Jiang Wei appeared to be rather worn out despite having gotten up not that long ago.

The emotional distress of his mother coming to know the truth, and the struggle to understand and accept all that was occurring so rapidly around him was a lot to manage. Taking all that in account, it wasn't surprising his response was another slight nod. Might be he also simply needed a bit of time alone with his now much more balanced thoughts, to try and come to terms with... everything.

Thus, Zhao Yun left the young one to himself after he'd watch him ease back down onto the bed and close his eyes, the last words he directed at Jiang Wei before he exited being: "Just call if you need anything."

"How is he?" Was the immediate question Zhao Yun was confronted with upon re-entering the provisional kitchen. Ma Chao's concern was both evident and warranted, he obviously felt responsible for the boy now that he'd decisively made the choice to take him under his protective wing.

"He's fine, don't worry. He takes a rest right now." The older Tiger General replied, relief reflecting in the expression of both his fellow officers.

"Well, I shall take my leave now. I will order some preparations to be made in order to accommodate him here properly." Zhuge Liang rose from his seat, bowing small towards the other two. "I would ask of you to take care of the boy as excellently as you did this far. If he has any further questions he can come to me."

The Shu strategist didn't doubt that there were in fact a lot of questions Jiang Wei would want to ask eventually, as there were also more questions Zhuge Liang himself would find it interesting to hear an answer to. That however, could wait as long as it was necessary for the boy to adjust to the new surroundings.

"You can rely on us, Prime minister. He is in safe hands here." Ma Chao sounded confidently, stepping away from the door so the older man could exit. He guessed they could leave it up to their respected tactician to take all the necessary measures to make Jiang Wei feel more at home here.

With Zhuge Liang gone, only the two of them remained, and he turned to his friend, scrutinizing him. "You look a little bit ropy. Care for a ride?" Zhao Yun indeed appeared a bit listless or tired; it seemed the whole thing bothered him rather a lot.

"What, do I really look that bad?" The addressed man chuckled, habitually bringing up his hands to fasten the ribbon holding his hair together in a ponytail before brushing a few brown fringes out of his handsome face.

Ma Chao knew his friend well enough to tell that right know he wouldn't mind a little distraction from his thoughts and he also knew exactly what the most likely things were that Zhao Yun wanted to do in such moments - it was either sparring or riding out. Something the two of them had in common. He himself didn't feel like duelling right now, but he was always in spirits for anything that involved spending time with horses.

"Nah, bad is not the right word to use. I think... unfocused is more suitable." He replied, gripping their spears and tossing one of it to its rightful owner before swinging the door open.

A skilful catch, and a mild sigh - "Maybe you're right. Some fresh air and less brooding will surely do no harm." Mild was also the uncertainty when the two of them were just outside the door. "Do you think we can leave him alone?"

At that, the younger Tiger General huffed and rolled his eyes. "Now you're acting overprotective, Yun." It was a trait of the other that could be both lovely and annoying - he did like to worry about things. "He won't disappear the very moment you're not around. He's seventeen, I think he can handle some alone-time just fine." Carefully leaning his Stallion Fury against a nearby wall, Ma Chao circled his friend's yet immobile form while continuing speaking: "Besides, he's probably already asleep and maybe still will be when we come back." Arrived behind the other, he gripped his shoulders and began pushing him forward and away from their room door.

"All right, all right, I got it. Now stop pushing me before I choose a duel over the riding thing." The taller man laughed, and did his best not to budge which made it more difficult for his companion to move him from the spot.

"Oh, is that a challenge?" A boyish taunt, both of Ma Chao's index fingers making it to the spots just below the other's shoulder blades and pressed down, causing the taller body to cringe. He grinned as he heard a sharp gasp and ducked away as his comrade whirled around and tried to slap him across his unruly head.

"If you ever do that again I will have to break your fingers!" Zhao Yun threatened and made a few swift steps forward, still wanting to fulfil his intentions of reaching his hand to the other's head. Ma Chao knew perfectly how much he couldn't have it, being poked at like that.

"Boo-hoo, now I'm scared. The Little Dragon is about to spit fire." His fellow officer all but teased with an according feisty grin on his lips, trying not to burst out laughing due to his friend's pissy appearance, keeping a safety gap between them to avoid getting smacked in the end.

"Alright, you. I'll show you some fire." Zhao Yun juggled his spear into attack stance, amused when Ma Chao blinked at him in what must be realization that the younger man's own weapon was pretty much out of his reach, still lonesomely leaned against the wall behind his comrade.

"Hey! Not fair! I don't have my spear!" He protested, watching a good-naturedly evil smirk twitch the corner of the older man's mouth.

"That's your problem, not mine." Was Zhao Yun's nonchalant reply, followed by a hearty chuckle as he watched his best friend turn tail and make an escape towards the stables. Shaking his head he gripped the other's spear to not leave it behind, and gave chase.

I definitely do enjoy Zhao Yun and Ma Chao together. Their companionship is so easy to imagine *laughs* Quite a fertile ground for my muses to thrive, too *snickers*

Reviews are love~ =3

See you next chapter!


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